Thursday, October 22, 2015

Author Spotlight: E.S. Carter

E.S. Carter

Avid reader and mother of three from a sleepy village in Cardiff UK. I previously worked in human resource management prior to becoming a stay at home carer and advocate for families of children with special needs.

I have been writing since childhood, the bookworm gene an abnormal manifestation as no-one else in my family is obsessed with books. In fact, it is a family joke that I came out of my mother's womb with a book in my hand.I'm happy to say that I've passed this gene on to my youngest child; she has been devouring books since the first day that she could hold one in her hand :)

1. How do you come up with a title and character names?Both the title and character names come right at the beginning of an idea for a story. It's quite organic; I've yet to struggle with either, it's almost as though they are born along with the concept.

2. Where do you get your inspiration when it comes to storylines?Life. People watching has always been one of my favourite hobbies. As a child, I would make up Fairytales about people, as an adult that hasn't really changed, except there are no Dragons and Wizards... yet.

3. What topics you would not write about, what topic you would like to write about that you haven't yet?I would not write anything in the MC genre, not because I don't enjoy it but because I don't feel that I could do it justice. I would love to write a PNR/Fantasy story... watch this space!

4. How do you handle negative feedback (reviews)? Do you ever want to write back to that person, what stops you?Reviews are, on the whole, for other readers, not authors. They are there to help others chose whether or not to read a book.For me, the only true negative reviews are ones that say "This book sucked" or "This author is crap" with nothing constructive given to explain why. Books, like music, films, etc are very subjective, what one person loves, another hates and not every person is going to love every book. Negative reviews, constructively written, can help an author grow. I would never reply to a negative review, what right do I have to question another on their enjoyment of a book?

5. If you had to choose, what writer would you consider an inspiration/mentor?So many authors inspire me, from classic literature like Jane Austen, to icons of our times, like Ann Rice. Indie authors have my complete respect. It takes A LOT of time, money, blood, sweat and tears to put your work out there for others, never knowing if even one person will feel your words. Authors are my rock stars!

6. How do you get your books to the general public, how difficult is it to market your work and have it recognized?Getting your books out there is probably the hardest thing about self-publishing. It's tough, as a new author, to get anyone to take a chance on you and the market is so saturated right now that your work can get swallowed up.Many hours are spent trying to navigate social media, trying to interact with readers, bloggers and other authors. I'm really blessed to have found some truly amazing people on my journey.

On to Other Topics

1. Favorite comfort food?Peanut Cookies - Dipped in my tea of course!

2. What do you do to relax when you're not writing?When I'm not spending time with my family or writing, I read. I'm a complete book addict, my family joke that I came out of my mother's womb with a book in my hand.

3. What is the biggest lie you've ever told?"No, Dear, that is not another signed book, I've had it for ages." - What he doesn't know won't hurt him!

4. Where is one place you want to visit that you haven't been before?Santorini, Greece. The Grand Canyon. Niagara Falls. Oh wait, you said just one?

5. If you had a superpower, what would be?The power of healing. I think that would be far more badass than flying or being invisible.

Your life can change in the blink of an eye.How you adapt to these changes is what defines you.

Jake Fox is an aspiring actor who has found little success.He is also a typical, cliche, bad boy, who 'loves them and leaves them' without love ever coming into the equation.

Emma Campbell is finding her way in life, struggling with memories from her past, an apathetic mother and the choices ahead of her. Can she keep focused on the light when life keeps surrounding her in darkness?

Polar opposites, will love be the thread that binds them or will circumstances beyond their control, tear them apart?

*Suitable for readers Age 18+ due to some disturbing scenes and sexual content*

Fate kept placing Emma Campbell and Jake Fox in each others paths.Fate also kept putting overwhelming obstacles in their way.What fate didn’t realise is that Jake and Emma share a connection that is stronger than circumstance.An intense bond that threatens everything they thought they knew about themselves, one that is only made stronger by a perfect day.

A perfect day where they both surrendered to the force of their feelings for one another.A perfect day that ended in darkness and tragedy.

Jake is missing.Emma is lost.Lost in grief; lost in hopelessness.

Will fate finally grant them a chance to be together or will it tear them apart?

This is the second part in the “Love by Numbers” series and is a continuation of the story that began in “Nineteen”.It is not to be read as a standalone.*Suitable for readers 18+ due to scenes of a sexual nature*

I am a son.I am a brother.I am an artist.I am a student.I am her student.

She was my first.First infatuation, first ‘real’ kiss, first love, first.....heartbreak.

I gave her everything, including my body and would have given her more.I gave her ‘I love you’ ….she told me her heart was filled by another, there was no room left for me.

We could never be.What we did was wrong.It didn’t feel wrong to me.

The deepest hurt is a love that you cannot have. It will last the longest, cut the deepest and feel the strongest. It is an imperfect love; a disfigured circle that never ends. You cannot control it; it's as simple as blinking and just like blinking the more you try to stop it, the more the pain consumes you.

This is book 3 in 'The Love by Numbers' series. Although it contains characters from the previous books, it can be read as a standalone.